Jenn Menendez's WVU football chat: season finale edition

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Jenn Menendez: Good afternoon. Thanks for joining me for today's WVU football chat: season finale edition. We'll get going in just a few minutes. Leave your questions here.

Jenn Menendez: Thanks for joining me. Let's get started.

WVUfan: Did you think this team was prepared for the Pinstripe Bowl? Sounds like they didn't practice much leading up to the game...is that reading too much into it?

Jenn Menendez: That's a good question, and one I wondered about myself coming out of the game. They practiced just once outdoors while in New York because of some nasty weather in the area and practiced another time in their hotel ballroom. You tend to believe the coaches when heading into the game they say they had a lot of good practices back in Morgantown before the holiday break. But then the outcome of the game certainly makes you scratch your head.

Jeff: Who do you see replacing Geno Smith next season at QB? Will it be between Millard and Childress, or will a JUCO guy land the job?

Jenn Menendez: I still believe, and of course could be wrong, that Ford Childress will ultimately prevail and win the job out of fall camp. I know they are trying to land a JUCO quarterback and if they do I may change my opinion. But I talked to QB Coach Jake Spavital a couple of times about this last month and he was very clear the two will battle in the spring and the best man will win the job.

Joe: Any chance Tyler Boyd chooses WVU?

Jenn Menendez: Sounds like it is in the running and we will know his decision soon - read in a couple of places that he'll announce something on Saturday.

Chris Anderson: Jenn, what is your feelings about the upcoming class of future Mountaineers? I know signing day is a little over a month away but will this group be able to step in and give the Mountaineers the needed depth that the lacked this past season?

Jenn Menendez: I'm guessing you know a lot about these guys and I will say this - they are going to need to be able to step in and give the team some depth. I don't think Holgorsen can afford another year where depth is an issue. The four JUCO guys who have committed already seem like solid guys and if they can nab a few more it could take some pressure off the incoming freshmen.

WVUfan: What did the players sound like after the game?

Jenn Menendez: I was able to talk to a few of them in the mad dash post-game and the ones I did speak to sounded pretty depressed. I got the feeling they believe this year was a lost opportunity.

K. Watts: Somewhat astonishing the team's center could get himself into a situation where his eligibility would keep him out of his final game at WVU. Has he given any interviews as to what happened?

Jenn Menendez: Not that I'm aware of. These guys are tough to reach outside of team sanctioned interview sessions and since he didn't make the trip to New York, we didn't get an opportunity. I wonder if he will talk on the record about it. Sounds like his teammates were pretty disappointed as was the coaching staff. The bit I know of him, I'd imagine Madsen was too. But not having spoken to him about it can't know for sure.

WVUfan: Will this go down as tthe worst defense in West Virginia history?

Jenn Menendez: Yes, certainly judging them in modern history. I do believe changing conferences had a lot to do with this. But only to a point. Considering they gave up 369 rushing yards to Syracuse in the bowl game - and they are a Big East team - kind of sticks a pin in the theory that it was just the transition to a new conference.

G.T. Lynn: If WVU were still in Big East, what do you think its record would have been this season?

Jenn Menendez: Good question. Tough question. I think they'd win two more - so 9-4 - which would have been a significantly better season.

Jenn Menendez: What do you think?

WVUfan: I think they'd have won two or three more games, but would still have had problems.

G.T. Lynn: Do you believe Patterson make a big enough difference in WVU's defense next season to avert a losing season?

Jenn Menendez: I do have a good gut feeling that Patterson will make a difference next year, yes. That's not to cut on Joe DeForest at all, but he (Patterson) strikes me as as someone who has been around the block and knows fixing things means recruiting the right players, and making the ones available better.

G.T. Lynn: I think they would have gone 8-4 or 9-3, definitely at least two Big East losses and a loss to Florida State out of conference.

Jenn Menendez: That's right, forgot Florida State would have been in that non-conference schedule. Agreed that would have been a loss.

Joe: Do you think Dana H. matured as the season progressed? Based on the press conferences do you think he'll progress into a complete coach and not just a OC?

Jenn Menendez: That's a hard one to answer, simply because I don't get the feeling press conferences are high on his list of favorite things to do. I think he needs to progress still as a head coach - and that's simply based on the results on the field. Not sure I'm qualified to judge if he's matured or not and how much that would change things.

Jenn Menendez: Well thanks very much to those of you who have joined me this season. For your sake, let's hope the new year brings some much needed depth and development to the WVU football team. Happy New Year.